Advances in Materials Science and Engineering: An International Journal (MSEJ), Vol. 3, No.

4, December 2016

USING ADVANCED INSPECTION METHOD

(THREE-DIMENSIONAL ULTRASONIC) IN
RECOGNITION OF DEFECTS IN HIGH
THICKNESS PIPELINES
A.R. Sahebi1, S. Hosseinzadeh2*, V. Salimasadi3
1

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Savadkoh Branch, Islamic Azad University,

Mazandaran, Iran
2
Department of Mechanical Engineering,West Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University,
Tehran,Iran
3
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sari Branch, Islamic Azad University,
Mazandaran, Iran

ABSTRACT
In this study, using Harfang Code 32 device, the slag catcher pipelines in one of the South Pars phases
were tested. In radiography method of these lines, no clear defect was observed in radiographic films due
to the high thickness of 40 mm. However, marvelous results were obtained using advanced ultrasonic.
Review and analysis of the results will result in high potential of three-dimensional ultrasonic method in
identifying defects in pipelines with high thicknesses and preventing financial and life-threatening risks
during the use of these refineries in the future.

KEYWORDS
Non-destructive testing, Three-dimensional Ultrasonic (PAUT), Ultrasonic, Radiography

1. INTRODUCTION
By industrialization and the spread of the welding process and salient reception of industry, this
process was in public use soon as a special process in the framework of main method of
connecting two or more pieces of metal together, and its major advantages such as economic
advantages and its speed and efficiency caused arrival this technology to more sensitive areas
such as aerospace, refining industry and military industry. In such circumstances, discussion of
quality control found a special place in this process. As far as it caused non-destructive methods
in quality control to enter the field as quickly as possible the ground is free from destructive
methods of analysis available for control eye and welding, regardless of available visual methods
and destructive analysis for controlling welding, and be in public interest of industries. The
success of these techniques caused the non-destructive tests of materials quickly entered in other
manufacturing industries such as casting, rolling and some non-metallic industries, and now these
methods have the unique status in the industry. In the meantime, penetrant testing, magnetic
DOI:10.5121/msej.2016.3401

Advances in Materials Science and Engineering: An International Journal (MSEJ), Vol. 3, No. 4, December 2016

particle test and Eddy Current test in determining surface defects in welding and industrial
radiography and ultrasound tests to determine the deep flaws in the welds were of most interest.
Development and application of three-dimensional ultrasound waves as an offshoot of the
technology had reached its maturity at the beginning of the twenty-first century. In fact, this
technology made its way into the world of industry in the medicine area in 1980. In the mid1980s the piezoelectric composite materials were developed and used in construction of I.P.A
probes with different shapes and designs. In the early 1990s, three-dimensional ultrasonic
technology was introduced as one of modern methods of NDTs in the visual test handbooks and
training manuals for engineers.
The main uses of this technique in the years between 1985 and 1992 were limited to inspection of
pressure vessel nozzles in nuclear industry, large wrought shafts and parts for turbines. New
developments in manufacturing technology of piezo-composites, high-precision machining,
microelectronics, increased computing power (including simulation packages for probe design
and details of the interaction of waves) caused occurrence a revolutionary development in threedimensional ultrasonic technologies at the end of the 1990s, and at the same time, the function
solution software were also developed with growing computer capabilities.

2. SHAPING THE WAVES

Using three-dimensional ultrasound waves in non-destructive testing began started because of
having the following general characteristics.
1. Reducing inspection and settings time;
2. Expanding access to inaccessible areas or with difficult access;
3. Removing harmful radiations;
4. Ability to detect cracks in the direction of different depths using a probe placed on a fixed
point.
5. Strong sizing capability for weld inspection carried out on different materials;
6. Finding and showing small cracks due to stress corrosion in turbine parts with complex
geometry.
7. High precision of finding location and direction of critical defects because of the ability to
focus the waves at different depths and move these focus points along different angles.

3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
In this study, radiography of the slag catcher welds of one of the South Pars phases with API5LX65materialswere taken, using X-ray camera with 80 C powers. Considering the thickness of
these foams and also the impossibility of radiography with SWSI technique (due to lack of access
to the inside of pipes), DWDI technique had been used. In the study of radiographic film of this
technique, very vague dots and lines were seen that, according to several experienced
commentators, any of these symptoms was not considered as a flaw or defect.
To achieve more accurate information, a comparison activity for similar foam that access inside
them was still possible, was performed using Harfang Code 32 device. Using three-dimensional
ultrasonic inspection on ten 48.6 cm thick 480 and 500 foams, amazing results were achieved. In
all these foams, imperfections of lack of sidewall fusion / lack of sidewall Root and cracks were
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Advances in Materials Science and Engineering: An International Journal (MSEJ), Vol. 3, No. 4, December 2016

observed. By interpretation results, recorded by Harfang device and their evaluation with special
software to interpret the results, implication of the existence of these defects have been inspected
across sectors.
To observe the above defects and comparing them with data obtained from three-dimensional
ultrasonic method, magnetic particles inspection method has been used. As we can see the
figures, much walls with lack of sidewall fusion imperfection, which been ended to the
longitudinal cracks by spreading them finally. By imaging with a digital camera from the root
area of above foams and measuring shown defect length, it was found that in many cases, the
dimensions of the defect obtained by the three-dimensional ultrasonic method are much more
accurate than radiographic method. Because many of these imperfections the length was smaller
than its true size due to crack growth and its penetration into the interior. But using threedimensional ultrasonic method exact size and position of defects were identified. According to
the efficiency of slag catcher unit in the refineries and also being under the pressure of the lines,
existence of such imperfections may have very dangerous results to life and property that, there
were no possibilities to identify them in any way without the use of three-dimensional ultrasonic.

Figure 1.Crack observed in the connections root

Advances in Materials Science and Engineering: An International Journal (MSEJ), Vol. 3, No. 4, December 2016

Figure 2.Lack of fusion observed in the connections root

Advances in Materials Science and Engineering: An International Journal (MSEJ), Vol. 3, No. 4, December 2016

Figure 3,4. Comparison of radiographic film of above connections with three-dimensional ultrasonic
results

3. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Developments of inspection methods by three-dimensional ultrasonic technology have higher
speed and accuracy compared to conventional non-destructive testing methods such as
radiography and ultrasonic; its reasons can be summarized as follows:
1. The use of echo pulse in three-dimensional ultrasonic method similar to a conventional
ultrasonic.
2. Using a powerful imaging tool.
3. Drawing two-dimensional and three-dimensional data using various scanning and probe
movement.
4. If the employer needs, provides the possibility of implementation of a few meters of inspection
to detect flaws that their discovery and inspection is difficult.
5. Precise drawing of imperfection location.
6. Very high quality Report for the customer or client representatives.
7. Reasonable impression of how to diagnose the imperfection and measure it using imaging
technique by several sets of waves to train technicians.
In addition to all the benefits that we mentioned for P.A. technology already, this method has
drawbacks mentioned in Table 1.1. Restrictions may make implementation and use of this
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Advances in Materials Science and Engineering: An International Journal (MSEJ), Vol. 3, No. 4, December 2016

technology limited in large scale. In this regard, the most important P.A equipment manufacturer
is rapidly going to find and implement strategies to remove barriers that some of them have been
discussed in the column of Table 1.
Table 1. P.A Ultrasonic limitations and ahead measures to meet them

Present limitations
Very expensive
Instruments

The probes are

expensive and long
duration of buying
them because of
exclusivity

Very skilled operator

with significant
knowledge of
ultrasonic is needed.

The calibration of
device has been
complex and needs a
long time.

Data analysis and

drawing defects will
take time.

More details
- Its hardware is 10 to 20
times more expensive than
conventional UT.
- The high cost to update
device software

Taken measures or in progress

- Optimized hardware design,
such as actions has been done for
conventional UT in recent years.
- Standardizing product line
- With above measures price
reduction will be 2 to 8 times the
normal UT.
- 12 to 20 times the price of - Providing standard instructions
conventional UT probes.
for making probe
- Standardization of probes used
in weld inspection and corrosion
control
- The price of probes will decline
to about 3 to 6 times the price of
conventional probe.
- This technique needs
- Training courses with different
several specialties including degrees of certification.
computers, mechanics,
- Publication of diverse and
ultrasound knowledge and
advanced handbooks on how to
special skills.
perform P.A according to its
- Now, skilled manpower to applications.
carry out inspections with
high workloads are
considered a problem.
- Before starting required
- Development and installation
several operations for
of calibration equipment on the
calibration.
device.
- Periodic and routine
- Development of special
calibration of device is also equipment and adjustments for
time-consuming.
periodic controls of the device.
- Standardization of calibration
instructions.
- Large data catching of
- Development of automated
defect situation causes its
analysis method based on the
analysis time-consuming
specific characteristics of
for the system.
incoming waves.
- Development of twodimensional and threedimensional plotting data
directly.
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Advances in Materials Science and Engineering: An International Journal (MSEJ), Vol. 3, No. 4, December 2016

Method does not

quite standardize.

- Because of the many

complexities of P.A
technique, studies still has
not been done to
standardize them.

- National and international

continued activities to
standardize it in the Committee
of ASME, ASNT, IIW
- Creating manuals for the P.A
equipment
- Simplifying calibration of the
recipes.
- Preparing general recipes.

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